Ryūmon-ji, 神奈川県真鶴町にある寺院
Ryumonji is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple set on 40 acres of land in the rolling hills of northeast Iowa. The buildings follow traditional Chinese architectural methods and include a meditation hall, bell tower, living quarters, and study spaces, with the final structure completed in 2013.
The land was gifted to the community in 2000 and the temple was officially established in 2004 under the leadership of Reverend Shoken Winecoff, who studied under the Japanese Zen master Katagiri Roshi. Shoken, a former Catholic priest and psychologist, founded Ryumonji as part of a larger Zen center to make the teachings accessible to people from all backgrounds.
The name Ryumonji comes from a Chinese story about the Dragon Gate, a mythical ocean passage where fish attempt to pass through and transform into dragons. This legend symbolizes the struggles people face and the growth that comes from overcoming difficult times.
Public meditation sessions take place on Sunday mornings at 9 AM and Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM, with orientation available for newcomers before joining. The location is quite remote and requires careful driving to reach. Extended stays are possible through weekend retreats and multi-week Ango practice periods offered in summer and winter.
Reverend Shoken Winecoff was a Catholic priest and psychologist before becoming a Zen Buddhist monk, turning to Buddhism after a difficult divorce and search for inner peace. His conversion from a Western religious background to Zen demonstrates the universal approach that Ryumonji promotes, welcoming people regardless of their previous faith traditions.
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